Best Hair Straighteners

Types of hair straighteners

Hair straighteners are often categorised by the material of their plate - most will have plates either made from ceramic, tourmaline, or titanium. You can sometimes find aluminium, alloy, or glass plates, but these are extremely damaging and inefficient, so they’re not recommended.

Ceramic

Ceramic plates are the most common plate material found in straighteners, and they’re effective at straightening most hair types.

You can also find ceramic-coated plates which have all the benefits of a ceramic hair straightener, but the coating can chip away over time and result in uneven heating, which is why this is only really found in more budget straighteners.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline-coated, or ionic plates, are negatively charged when heated and heat the hair from inside the hair shaft, which heats up hair more quickly. These plates are most suitable for damaged hair.

Titanium

Titanium plates tend to be the most efficient, safe, and effective plate type available, making them great for making coarse, curly hair straight in one pass and reducing overall styling time.

How do I choose a good hair straightener?

Finding a good straightening hair product that can achieve salon-worthy results can be easier if you consider the following when you shop.

Plate type

If you’re looking for a flat iron, they’ll either have fixed or floating plates. Floating plates have the advantage of being able to move and adjust pressure on your hair, helping protect the hair shaft from damage.

This flexibility lets the plates better adjust to suit the style you’re going for, and does a better job at preventing snagging and tangling. You can find both single floating and dual floating plates, however dual floating tends to be more effective.

Flat ironing can damage hair if you overheat it, which is why straightening brushes that operate at a lower heat can be handy. These heated hair brushes detangle hair and can leave it smooth and shiny, and their reduced temperature makes them great for using on thin or damaged hair.

On the left: The Gold Styler ghd hair straightener with dual floating plates. On the right: The Remington Hair Straightener Keratin & Argan Oil Nourish Brush.

Plate size

A wide plate can shorten the time it takes to straighten your hair. They’re suitable for long, thick hair, as they straighten more hair with each pass.

Narrow plates are more suited to short or fine hair, as they apply less heat and therefore don’t damage the hair shaft as much. Slimmer plates are also easier to store and fit into your travel bag.

You can also find mini hair straighteners that are designed for travel - while they’re convenient, they’re usually not nearly as powerful as their full-sized counterparts.

Plate shape

A straightener with rounded edges at the top makes it easier to create curly hair. If a flat iron has straight edges, it will give you even straighter hair.

Features

There are some features to look out for that can make using your straightener a breeze.

• Cordless: A cordless hair straightener can be used anywhere, so you don’t need to position yourself next to a power outlet to use it.
• Universal voltage: This is handy if you think you’ll be taking your straightener with you when you travel overseas.
• Auto shut-off: If you’re a bit forgetful, looking for a straightener that automatically shuts off after a certain period of time can prevent it from starting a fire, or at the very least save you from being slapped with a big energy bill.
• Foldable handle: A folding handle makes your straightener more compact so that it takes up less space in your bathroom drawer or your luggage - no game of Tetris needed.
• Storage case: This makes it easy to transport your straightener.
• Steam technology: Some straighteners use steam as well as heated plates to straighten hair - steam hair straighteners are thought to be less damaging to your hair, more efficient to use, and more smoothing for the hair.
• Protective heat mat: Some straighteners come with a heat mat that you can rest the straightener on while it’s turned on, so you don’t have to worry about heat damaging your furniture.
• Infused plates: The plates on some straighteners are infused with hair-nourishing ingredients like keratin and argan oil, which help with repairing and protecting your hair.
• Wet-to-dry: A wet-to-dry straightener dries hair while you straighten it, however it’s still recommended to use it on damp hair, not when it’s sopping wet after you've just jumped out of the shower.

Temperature

Straighteners can go up to temperatures of 150 to 250°C, but just because you can get a super-hot iron, doesn’t mean that you need one.

People with fine or damaged hair may want to use a straightener at a lower heat, which is why a straightener with adjustable temperature settings may be useful to avoid burning your hair.

Some more high-end irons also have intelligent heat control, which has sensors in the plates that automatically adjust the temperature so that it's just hot enough to straighten hair without overheating it.

Heating time

Try and find a quality hair straightener in your budget with quick heat-up times that’s also efficient in straightening your hair. Some straighteners can fully heat up in under 30 seconds, however you should read reviews to see if the advertised heating time is accurate.

Ease of use

Check for the position of the controls - sometimes they’re fiddly and it can be easy to accidentally turn the straightener off while you’re using it. If you can, hold the straightener to see if you can easily adjust the controls with just one hand.

A swivel cord also makes using the hair straightener at any angle easier, as you won’t tangle up the cord when you move the iron around.

Price

A hair straightener can cost you anywhere from $20 to $700, with most costing somewhere between $50 to $300. We know, the huge difference in price points doesn’t make choosing an iron any easier, but if you want more “luxe” features like titanium plates and intelligent heat control, then expect to fork out more.

Although spending more can often get you a more effective and durable straightener, you can find high-quality straighteners at lower price points that do the job just fine.

The bottom line

Think about how often you use a straightener and what you intend to use it for, and you should be able to find a selection of irons that are fit-for-purpose.

If it’s easy to use, heats up quickly, doesn’t unnecessarily damage your hair, and gives you the look you’re after, then there’s a high chance it’s right for you.